Early voting for the February 27 primary will begin across Berrien County this Saturday.

Berrien County Clerk Sharon Tyler tells us there will be two early voting locations. They are Lake Michigan College in Benton Harbor for those living in the northern half of the county, and the Berrien County South County Building in Niles for those in the southern half. You can check the clerk’s website if you’re unsure.

Tyler says you don’t necessarily need a driver’s license or state ID to vote this time around.

“It can be a concealed pistol license,” Tyler said. “It can be a municipal ID, an employee ID, a tribal ID, a student faculty ID from a high school or accredited institution, a military ID, a passport.”

Tyler says anyone can stop by the early voting location at any point during their operating hours to cast a ballot. That’s not all.

“One thing about early voting, you can take your AV ballot and cast your vote at an early voting center so that you can tabulate it yourself instead of putting it into the drop box, and you may feel more secure doing that.”

The hours for early voting in Berrien County will be 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. through February 25, except on Tuesday, the 21st, when the hours will be 11:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Tyler says the results from early voting will not be counted until the actual Election Day, so don’t expect any early numbers.

Tyler’s staff has been hard at work preparing for early voting, and she says she’s confident all will be secure and functional.

Voters in Benton Township and Bainbridge Township will need to go to their township offices to vote early, though, because those two municipalities have opted out of the county’s program.

In addition to the primaries, there will be school millage renewals on the ballot in Buchanan, River Valley, and Niles.